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I don't quite know how to phrase this, but where better than here to give it a try LOL? I understand the smegma transfer. That's going to remain with the horse – within reason of course, but it will live where it's put and will hopefully regenerate the horse's own smegma factory. Got it. I'm really having trouble with the fecal transfer concept. Putting something in that is destined to immediately come out just doesn't seem like it would have any sort of an effect. And on what would it have this effect? Perhaps I should go Google, though I do hate with that would do to my browsing history...

Arrange whatever pieces come your way. - Virginia Woolf

Did you know that if you say the word "GULLIBLE" really softly, it sounds like "ORANGES"?

The goal of a fecal transplant is the same as a smegma one. To repopulate the area (in that case, the gut) with good bacteria. I think it's usually done as an enema...they try to get it pretty far up there.

Oh, my SO knows all about the fecal transplant deal and the science/reasoning behind it. For some reason, the smegma transfer just weirds him out - which is funny to me because he's normally so unflappable and completely fascinated by bodies and bodily functions. Typically, the grosser the better, but for some reason the smegma is what gets him, haha.

A few months ago the NYTimes had a great first persol article by a man who had asked his friend to donate fecal material because he needed it. The doctors in NYC had been doing research on the subject, and the procedure worked. A great idea if you have a great friend who will donate daily for I forget how many days. It worked for the guy who wrote the article in the NYTimes. New bacteria flourished and multiplied and his elimination problems disappeared.

I've never heard of smegma donations working though. If it works, you should write an article on it.

Reading this thread made me remember that I have to clean my geldings sheath. How do you make sure that you don't over clean a sheath? His is pretty dirty and needs a good cleaning but how much is too much?

One thing I would not do is to use Vaseline. That is a big no no, Vaseline is a petroleum product and is not appropriate for use internally. I would think as someone suggested that just transferring it as is (with water) would be easy enough since it loves to stick to whatever is used to clean it anyway.

Excalibur or KY Jelly is what you want for cleaning and it does not need to be squeaky clean, I made sure the sloughing kind of yellowing skin was nearly off, just soaped and washing once and checked /cleaned out the bean.

"When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters, one represents danger, the other represents opportunity."

I caught sight of this thread at about 1:30 am and I had to double-check to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

Rider in the Rain, I suppose your SO is grossed out because he's a guy. He hasn't hit the full COTHerization on horses yet and anyway, it's about smegma and sheaths and gelding and all the sort of things guys are sensitive about anyhow, so he might never reach that point.

I didn't know it was possible to over-clean either. Most of my boys have been pretty clean but one of them....Ugh, he was gross. Black goo all around there on a regular basis. And he tended to get that funky stallion smell. At least he didn't mind being cleaned, though I tended to just wipe the globs off more often than wash with soap. Heh, he probably would have been a good donor.

SMEGMA TRANSFER update - It worked!!!!!!! Four donations from my other gelding did the trick. Simply removed with glove and KY from donor and inserted into recipient. Did the transfers one day apart. Donor was very cooperative - recipient was quite unsure of the whole process at the beginning but by the 3rd transfer didn't blink an eye or threaten with a hoof. So happy to see a healthy sheath!

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man (or woman). Winston Churchill

Can I just ask, what were the symptoms you noticed to realize he had a yeast infection? Any other symptoms you saw from the overcleaning?

I will admit I'm an "opportunistic" cleaner.....grabbing at what I can see (my donations land on the floor....) So probably not at risk of scrubbing too hard. But I would just like to know what to look out for if someone else does so.....

Pally - First sign was a VERY smelly, dark, thick gunk on his inner thighs and front of his sheath. Also, very protective of his "man parts" - swishy tail and pinned ears when I attempted to groom his belly and inner hind legs. He was new to me so I didn't know his normal secretions or touchiness. Over the next 7 - 10 days, the secretions continues and he became "pissy" under saddle - reaching around to nip at his sides and an unwillingness to go forward. By the next week, his sheath was swollen. Vet out - had to sedate him to examine and clean. Very red shaft and prepuce- nasty discharge - treated with sulfasilvadene - seemed to better - few weeks later started again - this time caught right away - retreated with the sulfasilvadene - returned few weeks later - vet changed treatment to antifungal powder - again cleared up temporarily - then returned - this time we treated wit the powder and when cleared up did the transfers. Now he drops and lets me gently rinse him - vet said absolutely no soaps or chemical cleaners for him. I think the original owner over cleaned - he got infected and she kept cleaning the discharge thinking he was just a "dirty" boy.

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man (or woman). Winston Churchill

My gelding has had a swollen sheath on and off for about a year. The vet checked him, cleaned him, no bean. This thread is very interesting. I suppose it can't hurt to try. I'd have to ask a friend's horse for a donation because my other two are mares.

What's this about yogurt? Would it be just as beneficial to use only that? I assume not. I'm going to try a probiotic first. And I'm definitely bringing this up at work; they already think I'm weird. And we've discussed fecal transplants as some of us are in need. . Horse smegma will send them over the edge!